Method for producing thread bundle of bagworm silk thread

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12037708-B2
Application number	US-201917046467-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2019
Priority date	Apr 16, 2018
Publication date	Jul 16, 2024
Grant date	Jul 16, 2024

Abstract

Provided is a method developed for producing a thread bundle with high efficiency in terms of spun thread collection and without causing mechanical damage to a foothold silk thread spun by a bagworm onto a base material. After a bagworm is placed along with a solvent-soluble base material and allowed to spin the foothold silk thread onto the surface of the base material, the base material is dissolved with a solvent to separate the foothold silk thread therefrom.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing a thread bundle of a bagworm foothold silk thread, comprising:
placing process of placing a bagworm together with a solvent-soluble base material(s);
spinning process of allowing the bagworm to spin the bagworm foothold silk thread onto the solvent-soluble base material(s);
dissolving process of dissolving the solvent-soluble base material(s) with a solvent; and
separation process of separating the bagworm foothold silk thread spun onto the base material(s) from the solvent-soluble base material(s), and
wherein the solvent does not damage, denature, or dissolve the bagworm foothold silk thread.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising collection process of collecting the bagworm together with a nest after the spinning process and before the dissolving process.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the solvent is water.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the solvent is a low-polarity solvent.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising washing process of washing the separated bagworm foothold silk thread.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising drying process of drying the separated bagworm foothold silk thread.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the base material(s) is/are placed on a support.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the base material(s) has/have a planar shape or three-dimensional shape.

9. An unwoven fabric formed of a bagworm foothold silk thread(s) obtainable by using the method for producing a thread bundle according to claim 1 .

10. A method for producing a thread bundle of a bagworm foothold silk thread, comprising:
placing process of placing a bagworm together with a thermally meltable base material(s);
spinning process of allowing the bagworm to spin the bagworm foothold silk thread onto the thermally meltable base material(s);
melting process of melting the thermally meltable base material(s) under heating at a temperature which does not damage, thermally denature, or melt the bagworm foothold silk thread; and
separation process of separating the bagworm foothold silk thread spun onto the base material(s) from the thermally meltable base material(s).

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising collection process of collecting the bagworm together with a nest after the spinning process and before the melting process.

Assignees

• Nat Agriculture & Food Res Org
• Kowa Co

Inventors

• Yoshioka Taiyo
• Kameda Tsunenori
• Asanuma Akimune
• HATTORI Keitaro
• Fukuoka Norihiko

Classifications

• D01C3/02

  De-gumming silk · CPC title

• D01B7/00 Primary

  Obtaining silk fibres or filaments · CPC title

• A01K67/04

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A01K67/35

  Silkworms · CPC title

• A41D31/00 Primary

  Materials specially adapted for outerwear · CPC title